Category: Music/Spirituality

“Devotion” by Earth, Wind and Fire (1974)

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The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music
Week XIV-B//15July2018
Discipleship is Directional, Not About Destination
 

            Somebody asked me last night after reading my Sunday reflection, “where is the direction?”

             As I have shared with you, life is essentially directional and not about destination.  Life is more of dealing with the questions “why” and “what” than of “where”.  When we search more of the where, we can get frustrated because in this journey of life, we really do not know the place where we should be or would be.  As we journey in life centered on Christ in prayer and silence, the more we still do not know of what will happen next, of what we’ll see next – yet, we are so excited.  We continue living because we believe, and most of all, we love!  When we love, we experience God.  That is when we begin to realize that indeed, heaven is more than a place or destination but a presence — that is also when we find our direction.  Here is a soothing music from Earth, Wind and Fire called Devotion from their album aptly titled Open Our Eyes released in 1974 that points to a direction.  Enjoy!

Through devotion, blessed are the children
Praise the teacher, that brings true love to many
Your devotion, opens all life’s treasures
And deliverance, from the fruits of evil
So our mission, to bring a melody
Ringin’ voices sing sweet harmony

For you here’s a song, to make your day brighter
One that will last, you long through troubled days
Giving your heart the light to brighten
All of the dark that falls in your way
You need devotion, bless the children
Deliverance from the fruits of evil
In everyone’s life, there’s a need to be happy
Let the sun shine, a smile your way
Open your heart, feel a touch of devotion
Maybe this song will help uplift your day.
Make a better way
You need devotion….

What Does It Take?

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe-Prayer Thursday
12 July 2018, Week-14/Year-2 Ordinary Time
Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9///Matthew 10:7-15

            I am very sorry Lord for so many things that clutter my mind today.  It is always a struggle to be good.  Not only in doing what is good but most of all in being with You, in staying with You, in always believing and trusting in You.

            Sorry if so often I wonder if You mean even today that we must proclaim “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand, that we would cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons?  Moreover, that without cost we have received and without cost must we give?  How can we go on in this time without taking gold or silver or copper for our belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick?  Yet, You also tell us the laborer deserves his keep?”(Mt.10:7-10)

            What does it take to really do Your will, God?

            Based on what I have learned, there are many things that take for anyone to do Your will like faith, love, and courage along with detachment and “positive indifference” by St. Ignatius of Loyola.  But last night before going to rest, I realized the importance of always reviewing my life, of examining not only my conscience but also my consciousness to see and feel how You have loved me immensely and continues to do so!

            Reading Hosea over and over makes me feel sorrowful of my sinfulness yet so loved by You as my Father.  How crazy have I been that “the more You call me, the more I drift away from You, forgetting how You have stooped to feed me, teaching me how to walk as Your own child.  Yet, despite my infidelity and sinfulness, You never vent on Your blazing anger because You are God and not human like us.”(Hos.11:2, 3, 4,9)

Like the psalmist yesterday and today, let me see Your face, touch me with Your love and presence so that I may always stay with You and most of all, follow You closely.  Somehow, like Your psalmists in the Old Testament, we have our gifted musicians who also make us feel Your love for us, Your longing for us.  Help me to give myself to You too today.  Amen.  Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II,Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022

Photo by the author, Betania-Tagaytay, August 2017.

Every Kinda People

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The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Prayer-Recipe, Tuesday
10 July 2018, Week-14/Year-2 Ordinary Time
Hosea 8:4-7, 11-13///Matthew 9:32-38 

            How easy for us Lord to always pray like the psalmist that we trust in You but, in reality we rely more with our very selves and with material things!  Like what You told Hosea in the first reading, “we make kings not by Your authority and we make princes without Your approval (Hos.8:4)” for we are so self-centered.

            Most of the time, we forget that what we really need here on earth are people – persons like each one of us with equal dignity created in Your image and likeness who must be respected regardless of creed and color.  Whenever something good happens with our brethren like when Jesus healed a demoniac in today’s gospel, we are like those people of His time who were either struck in awe or doubtful and suspicious without realizing that You come to us with every person who loves and cares for the sick and the poor.

            Move and stir our hearts, let us be merciful like Jesus Christ who said “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”(Mt.9:37-38)  Teach us to stop praying for more things and start praying for brothers and sisters capable of loving and caring for one another.  AMEN. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II,Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria,Bulacan 3022.  Photo from Google.

Pray this with the late Robert Palmer’s “Every Kinda People”, have breakfast and be kind with everyone you meet today.

“You Are Everything” by Marvin Gaye with Diana Ross (1973)

seeinglove
Photo from Google.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music
Week XIV-B, 08 July 2018
Recognizing Jesus

            In my homily today I have mentioned that “people took offense at Jesus for they lacked faith because they do not love Him…  To believe in Jesus, like with any person, demands love.  When we truly love a person including Jesus, our eyes are always opened, recognizing them even in their shadows or footsteps.  When we truly love anyone, there is no need to see because in our hearts, that person is already present in us.”

            In fact, we would never even see the one we truly love because they are already in eternity like Jesus and our dearly departed.  But even if we do not see them, we truly recognize them because we love.  That explains why so often, we thought we “see” the ones we love.  Loving, believing, seeing and recognizing are all interconnected; when there is a breakdown in our love, we stop believing, we become unfaithful as we fail to recognize our beloved.  That is when we also sin.  And that is the pain of not being seen and recognized by those closest to us like our family and friends because they refuse to love us in return.  But even if it happens, just keep on loving and believing because in Jesus, we are His everything.  Miracles can only happen and joy would start to overflow when we love, believe, and recognize Jesus in Himself and in others.

Today I saw somebody
Who looked just like you
He walked like you do
I thought it was you
As he turned the corner
I called out your name
I felt so ashamed
When it wasn’t you
Wasn’t you.
 
You are everything
And everything is you
Oh you are everything
And everything is you
‘Cause you are everything
And everything is you.
 
How can I forget
When each face that I see
Brings back memories
Of being with you
I just can’t go on
Living life as I do
Comparing each girl with you
Knowing they just won’t do
They’re not you.

“He Touches Me” by Lisa Stansfield (2004)

touchedbyjesus
Photo from Google.
The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music
Week XIII-B, 01 July 2018

            When I was still teaching at our diocesan school for girls in Malolos City (ICSM-Metropolis), one of the things I used to tell my students was to never be fooled by a man’s looks and “porma”.  Always look for a man who would truly love you, respect you, care and protect you.  Find a man who really touches you as a person, as a woman.          

He don’t bring me anything but love
He don’t bring me anything but love
If you offered me the stars I would decline
I don’t need ’em I got mine
I don’t know where to start
But I know what’s in my heart
So keep your silver and your gold ’cause I got my man to have and hold

            For this Sunday Music by Lisa Stansfield, imagine that man is Jesus touching you, touching each one of us.  Touching Jesus and being touched by Jesus is always a step into an intimate relationship with Him that calls for faith in us.  But we should not stop at simply touching Jesus – let us be touched by Jesus too!  When we allow Jesus to touch us, then we get in touch also with our true selves.  And when we are in touch with God and with our self, we get in touch with life’s realities and most especially in touch with others.  That is when we are transformed because Jesus had touched us.

No poetry, no diamond ring
No song to sing
He don’t bring me flowers, oh no
But he touches me, he touches me
No crazy dreams, no limousines
He makes me feel I can do anything
And that’s power, oh yeah
When he touches me, he touches me

             In this age when our communications and interactions are always mediated by gadgets and things, we have forgotten the power and impact of personal touch.  What really matters in this life are not only what we can touch like things but those who touch us like family and friends, persons who love and care for us, persons who make us whole. Enjoy Sunday!
I know they’ll say I’m crazy letting you go
Of a man like you
Who seems to have it all
But they don’t see what I see
No, they don’t feel like me
And even…
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“Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell (1968)

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The Lord Is My Chef Sunday Music
Week XI-B, 17 June 2018
Father’s Day

            I know.  Our LordMyChefSundayRecipe for today is titled “Sowing the Seeds of Love” from the 1989 hit by Tears for Fears.  But even before I have written that, I already had “Wichita Lineman” in my head as our Sunday Music on this Father’s Day because it best describes every father including me.  Even in this age of wireless communications, people are still essential to enable the proper function of technology that connects people with one another.  There would always be a “lineman” to ensure connectivity.

I am a lineman for the county and I drive the main road
Searchin’ in the sun for another overload
I hear you singin’ in the wire, I can hear you through the whine
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line.
 
            Every dad, every priest is a lineman, trying to connect people with others and with God.  One of the earliest seeds of my vocation was actually planted by my father without him knowing it.  Even I did not realize it only later in life.  Every morning before leaving for office, I always woke up seeing him in front of our “Cristo Rey” praying.  Upon arrival from work before we would pray the Angelus in front of our grotto, dad would be in front of Cristo Rey again praying.  Until his retirement, he never failed to pray in front of our altar at home.  And now he is gone, I could still feel him praying for me and the family.  Maybe, that is the reason why most fathers die ahead of mothers:  they are the first to go beyond life, to link us with this world and the next world.  They never stop connecting us because a father is always a “lineman”.
I know I need a small vacation but it don’t look like rain
And if it snows that stretch down south won’t ever stand the strain
And I need you more than want you, and I want you for all time
And the Wichita Lineman is still on the line.
 
            Real fatherhood is 24/7, thinking more of the children than one’s self.  Above all, it is keeping the lifeline open, near or far, all the time because of love.  Hail to all the dads and Rev. Fathers here and above us in heaven.  Amen. Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II, Parokya ni San Juan Apostol at Ebanghelista, Gov. F. Halili Ave., Bagbaguin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan 3022
Photo from Google.